Echinacea purpurea plant named ‘Mars’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea purpurea  plant named ‘Mars’ characterized by red purple, medium-sized flowers; large, ball-like disc; lime green centers when disc florets are unopened; well branched habit; lovely fragrance; and good vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea purpurea.

Variety designation: ‘Mars’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea purpurea and given the cultivar name ‘Mars’. Echinacea is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated as a seedling from an open pollinated cross between Echinacea ‘Ruby Giant’, an unpatented plant, as the seed parent and an unknown pollen parent.

This new Echinacea purpurea cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Red purple, medium-sized flowers.     -   2. Large, ball-like disc.     -   3. Lime green centers when disc florets are unopened.     -   4. Well branched habit.     -   5. Lovely fragrance.     -   6. Good vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows one year old Echinacea purpurea ‘Mars’ growing in the ground in the field in the summer in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea purpurea cultivar based on observations of a one-year-old specimen growing in the ground in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.         -   Size.—45 cm wide and 72 cm tall to top of inflorescence.         -   Form.—Basal clump.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,             ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from             crown divisions. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Ascending.         -   Size.—69 cm tall to terminal flower and 9 mm wide.         -   Internode length.—5 to 10 cm.         -   Surface texture.—Strigose.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 152A mottled with Greyed Orange 175A. -   Leaves, basal and cauline:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 26 cm long and 10 cm wide.         -   Margins.—Finely serrate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate, continuing down petiole.         -   Surface texture.—Strigose.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Topside — deep Green, Between Green 139A and Yellow             Green 147A with the vein Yellow Green 145B. Bottom side —             Yellow Green 147B with the veins Yellow Green 147C.         -   Petiole size.—15 cm if basal leaf, 7 cm if cauline leaf and             5 mm wide on both.         -   Petiole surface texture.—Strigose.         -   Petiole color.—Yellow Green 147B on backside and Greyed             Purple 187A on the top. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads.         -   Peduncle description.—Grows to 26 cm where leafless, with             diameter growing to 6 mm near the inflorescence, strigose,             branched, with three to five flowering stems, Yellow Green             152A mottled with Greyed Orange 175A.         -   Size.—9 cm wide and 6 cm deep as disc enlarges.         -   Bloom time.—Summer until frost in Canby, Oreg.         -   Immature inflorescence.—7 cm wide and 2.5 cm deep, ray             florets held slightly upright and colored Red Purple 59D             with greenish tinge, Greyed Yellow 160D. The disc is Greyed             Red 178A on the outer edge with the center Yellow Green             144B. -   Florets:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic.         -   Form.—Ray florets held horizontally on young inflorescences,             when the discs are mature they tilt down at a 20 degree             angle; mature discs have a strawberry shape.         -   Ray florets.—Average 34 in number, without pistil or stamen,             oblanceolate with the tip two toothed, entire margins, 4 cm             long, 9 mm wide, glabrous on both sides.         -   Disc.—Convex becoming conic, 3.3 cm to 5 cm wide and             becoming 4 cm deep with maturity.         -   Disc florets.—About 400 in number, 12 mm long, Yellow Green             144B, 5 lobed, each floret with one persistent, very still             bract, 13 mm long, which gives the disc color, with pistil             and stamen. Pistil — 1 in number, 12 mm long, with an             extruding, 2-branched stigma, Greyed Purple 187A. Stamen — 5             in number, each 7 mm long, extruding from corolla, anthers             2.5 mm long and Brown 200A, pollen Yellow Orange 13C.         -   Color.—Ray florets, topside — Red Purple 67A to 71B but             brighter ray florets, bottom side — Red Purple 63A to Greyed             Purple 186A disc — Yellow Green 144A when in bud, changing             to deep orange, Greyed Red 179A then mature to Greyed Orange             170A.         -   Phyllaries.—In four leafy series, lobes lanceolate in shape,             reflexed, strigose, area 3.7 cm wide, grow to 7 mm long and             2.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B.         -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Lovely, strong. -   Seed: Average 3 seeds/head.     -   -   Description.—4.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, oval, tan, Grey             Brown 199D.         -   Fertility.—Low. -   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery     mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been     observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR ECHINACEA

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Giant’, an unpatented plant, the new variety has smaller, brighter red purple flowers, more flowers, and fewer petal layers. The overall plant habit is smaller. The petals of this new variety reflex back slightly with maturity.

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Eyes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,172) the flowers of this new cultivar are smaller, brighter colored and the petal reflex back slightly with maturity. The disc of the new variety become much larger with maturity. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea purpurea plant named ‘Mars’ as herein illustrated and described. 